Friday, October 16, 2020

Wine and Food of the Giro 2020 Stage 13: Cervia to Monselice

Where are we? Heading further north to the Veneto. 

Cervia from the Giro: The Municipality of Cervia is situated in the region of Emilia-Romagna on a stupendous stretch of the Adriatic coast with 9 km of fine sandy beaches and shallow waters. The ancient “city of salt”, the old fishing village and the extensive pinewoods have been transformed by the development of tourism. This began in a pioneering way at the end of the eighteen hundreds and had a decisive impact in 1912 when the “garden town” of Milano Marittima was built at the edge of the centuries old pinewood. Cervia with its districts of Milano Marittima, Pinarella and Tagliata is now one of the most famous seaside resorts and a national and international reference model. A land of natural beauty, tradition, culture and history awaits you here, where there are many attractions if you are looking for a holiday with a focus on health, fun and relaxation.

Specialties: An important aspect of the tourism offer of Cervia is the food and wine. The “sweet” salt of Cervia, since 2004 a Slow Food Association product, distinguishes local cuisine in a really unique way. The best dishes to try are the traditional recipes, in particular tagliatelle and cappelletti, various sand wines of the coastal area and the more robust wines of the hill region. The local piadina bread can be tasted at the distinctive piadina kiosks.

Monselice: Monselice is a fortified town of ancient origin,  surrounded by the enchanting scenery of the Euganean Hills. Located amid the green of the Po Valley a few kilometers south of Padua, it is nestled between two hills, Monte Ricco and Colle della Rocca. In its historic center it still retains the typical atmosphere of the past. The fortress of Frederick II, a mighty thirteenth-century fortress that dominates the Rocca (keep) Hill, has always been the historical symbol of the city which is in fact also called ‘La Città della Rocca’ (The town of the keep).
One of the most suggestive places of the town is the Via del Santuario, along which stand beautiful monuments, such as the ancient medieval Castle and the Jubilee Sanctuary of the Seven Churches  from where a panoramic path leads to the top of the hill.

Specialties: The typical cuisine of Monselice is based on the great variety of seasonal products that grow on the Euganean Hills and combines the high quality of the local ingredients with a traditional genuine and simple cuisine. Here nature offers a great variety of wild herbs with cheerful names: Carletti, Bruscandoli (wild hops), Pissacani (dandelions), Rampussoi (rampion bellflower). Typical products include peas, the basic ingredient of the famous “risi e bisi” (rice and peas), asparagus and radicchio, a symbol of the Veneto region.
Specialties include bigoli al torchio, gnocchi al ragù, omelettes with wild herbs, musso in tocio with polenta (stewed donkey with white polenta). Among the cold cuts stand out the sopressa euganea and the Prosciutto Veneto Berico Euganeo DOP Ham, a fine artisan specialty with fragrant notes. The  Berico Euganeo  DOP Olive Oil, a fine artisan specialty with fragrant fragrances, accompanies all specialties.



The stage: This is not a compelling stage profile. One could expect a doomed break.
Indeed, our break:
Thirty seven kilometers to go and the gap was at 1:13 as the peloton sped up behind. Thirty one kilometers to go and Demare had been dropped after the first climb, but only was about ten seconds back. That gc group was down to only 30 or so riders. The reason for the urgency by Bora: if Sagan were to win the stage, eh would take over the lead in the points competition.
Just over twenty kilometers to go and Demare had made it back, but could he hang on after the effort to get back?
As they climbed, an attack by Ulissi, splitting the peloton. The attacks would keep coming and the group kept shrinking.
Twelve kilometers to go and the Sagan group was sixteen seconds behind, with Demare and Viviani in the group a little bit further back.
Six kilometers to go and the gap was 33 seconds to the Sagan group and one minute to Demare's. They would not make it and we would have a sprint from the GC group won by Ulissi in a near photo finish.
Our winner:
The stage:

GC:<

The wine: Podere il Saliceto "Albone" Lambrusco di Modena--consumed at Verjus
It had been a long day/week/month/year. I was tired and asked for something fun.
From the importer: On the outskirts of Modena in the tiny village of Campogalliano is the small estate of Podere il Saliceto. Gian Paolo Isabella is most known as a decorated Muay Thai champion though he is a gentle winemaker both in the vineyard and the cellar. In 2005 he and his brother in law Marcello were driven to follow their passion for all things wine and founded the 4 hectare estate they now operate together. As producers of lambrusco they are dedicated to working with the classic local grape varieties such as Lambrusco di Sorbara and Salamino but they also work with the uncommon Malbo Gentile variety. All -the agriculture is done organically and natural vinification and re-fermentations take place in bottle to make their lambruscos. A plot of sauvignon blanc is also planted and made into a petillant naturel wine. The Malbo gentile in vinified by itself in old oak barrels and produces a dark and savory wine capable of aging for 5-10 years.

The food: Risi e Bisi

Risi e Bisi, Italian Rice and Peas Recipe

Venice called Vialone Nano, but regular Arborio is just fine, and Carnaroli is good, too.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 shallots, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 pound diced prosciutto or other dry ham
  • 1 cup Arborio or other risotto rice
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 or more cups water
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
METHOD

1 Sauté shallots: Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the shallots and stir to combine. Let these sauté for 2-3 minutes.

2 Heat stock and water: Meanwhile, heat up the stock and 1 cup of water in a small pot. You want this at a simmer while you make the rice.

3 Add garlic and prosciutto to shallots: Add the garlic and the diced prosciutto to the pot with the shallots, stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

4 Add rice: Pour in the rice, stir again and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

5 Slowly ladle in stock: Ladle some of the hot stock into the pot and start stirring. Risi e bisi is cooked like risotto, and is supposed to be pretty soupy, so you need a lot of water and you need to stir it constantly. Let this first ladle of stock cook down before you add the next.

Keep adding stock, letting it cook down and stirring until you’re done with the simmering stock. It is likely that you may need at least one more cup of water to finish the dish, because all that stirring in an open pot means you evaporate more liquid than you would when you cook rice the normal way, i.e., covered. If you think you are going to need more water, add more to the simmering stock.

6 When you get to this last cup of water, add the peas. Keep stirring until the water has almost cooked away. Taste some rice and test for salt and doneness: Add a little salt and some more hot tap water if the rice is still crunchy – you want the rice to be a little al dente, but not so much you’re gnawing on raw grain.

7 Add the parsley and the parmesan and mix well. Your finished rice should be slightly soupy, so it’s OK to add a tad more water before serving.

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